Considering taking your car on a long-distance road trip? If so, there are certain important checks you need to carry out to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your passengers, and also, other drivers on the road. Of course, maintaining the condition of your car is essential for any trip – regardless of the distance driven. However, it is especially important that you ensure your car is optimally functional if you plan to drive a long way! So, for the essential safety checks to do before any road trip, just follow this comprehensive guide.
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Check You’ve Recently Had Your Car Professionally Serviced
If you’re going on an extended road trip, you will need to ensure that your car is roadworthy and safe to drive. If you’re a Queensland local for instance, you can have your car professionally serviced by an auto mechanic in Bundaberg. A professional car service is highly recommended if you plan on taking your car out for a long drive. That way, you can ensure that all of the elements of your vehicle are functioning properly. These elements include your tyres, brakes, fluid levels, and vehicle suspension.
Check Your Car’s Fluid Levels
Of course, sometimes a lack of time or funds does not allow you to consistently get your car serviced before every road trip! If this is the case, there are some simple vehicle checks you can do yourself. For example, checking your car’s fluid levels. This includes checking your car’s engine oil, as well as its automatic transmission fluid, and also, power steering fluid. In manual cars, you may also need to check the clutch fluid.
Check Your Car’s Engine Brakes
Irrespective of your vehicle’s transmission – that is to say, regardless of whether it is a manual or automatic vehicle – you need to be checking your car’s engine brakes regularly. And especially, before a long road trip! Checking that your car’s engine brakes are operating and functioning at maximum capacity is essential in advance of a long drive – or indeed, a drive of any distance. You never know if or when you may need to brake suddenly. As such, your reflexes need to be on point if you need to make a snap decision to stop in a split second. Of course, so do your car’s engine brakes!
Check Your Car’s Engine Suspension
If you’re unfamiliar with how cars operate, you may well be asking – what is engine suspension? Importantly, your car’s engine suspension is central to ensuring that your car is adequately lifted off the ground! This will help avoid dragging along the road and causing damage to the underside of your car. Engine suspension is especially important if your vehicle is particularly low to the ground.
Check Your Vehicle’s Tyres
Lastly, you’ll need to check your vehicle’s tyres. This includes checking that your tyre traction works properly. But what exactly is the concept of tyre traction? And, perhaps more importantly, how does tyre traction work? Essentially, traction refers to the grip or resistance of your tyre against the road surface. It is crucial to maintain your car’s position on the road, and to ensure that you do not swerve from slide to side while you drive! Without tyre traction, driving can be slippery, and dangerous. As such, you must check this is all in order before you drive a long distance, especially if you will be encountering wet weather. Driving in the rain without good traction is extremely unsafe, and should be avoided at all costs.
There are a few things you need to do to ensure your safety before you go on a long drive. Of course, for a road trip to be as safe and comfortable as possible, you need to make sure that your vehicle is operating at optimum capacity. This means checking your tyres, engine brakes, engine fluid, and vehicle suspension. Of course, if you don’t know to perform these safety checks yourself, it is essential to engage the services of a professional auto mechanic. By having your car professionally and regularly serviced, you can rest easy knowing that your vehicle is safe to drive – regardless of the distance of the road trip ahead!
